Drive to Chitvan
Tiger Safari in Kanha
A Dawn in Kanha
Kanha National Park
Important Areas
Topography of Kanha National Park
Places to See in the Park
Flora & Fauna
Kanha Bird Checklist
Virtual Tour of Kanha
Map of Kanha
Reaching Kanha
Kanha Accommodation
Banjaar Tola
Tiger Conservation
Project Tiger
Tiger Conservation
Project Tiger
Tiger Trail Safari Places to Visit: New Delhi – Jaipur – Agra – Bandhavgarh – Kanha - Pench – New Delhi – Fly Back home
Day 1 : Arrive Delhi
Delhi the capital of India, is a historical city, which attracts the tourists because of its historical past. This city is one of the oldest city with lots of monuments and temples that are a sight to watch. Any visitor’s visit to this city will go incomplete without a visit to these historical places. Delhi is a 1000 years old city with great market places which fancy of a lot of exquisite stuff which is worth having a glimpse of. When you arrive at the airport in New Delhi you will be received by the representatives of Nature Safari who will then take you to the Hotel. Overnight at New Delhi.
Day 2 : In New Delhi
Morning: Visit the Old City of Delhi to see the historic Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque from the outside. See the colourful bazaar of Chandni Chowk and take a cycle rickshaw ride through the back streets of Old Delhi to get a first hand experience of the hustle and bustle of this traditional city. This ride through the small by-lanes will be most fascinating. Return to the hotel for lunch or eat at an interesting restaurant in town
Afternoon: Visit New Delhi, seeing the Qutab Minar, a tower of victory built in the 12th century and India Gate - the war memorial. Drive past the Rashtrapathi Bhawan, the residence of the President of India, the houses of Parliament and the Government Secretariat buildings. Overnight in Delhi
Day 3 : Delhi – Jaipur
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) – 260/ 5
After breakfast drive to Jaipur, 275kms, 5 hours drive, on arrival check into hotel.
Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan, is colour washed pink - the colour associated with hospitality in Rajput culture. This Pink City of fairy tale palaces, rugged fortresses perched on barren hills and broad avenues, is picturesque. The first planned city of its time, Jaipur is encircled by a formidable wall. Overnight in Jaipur.
Day 4 : In Jaipur
Morning proceed on an excursion to Amber Fort with an Elephant ride upto the top of the Fort. Drive past Hawa Mahal, known popularly as the Palace of Winds, is a facade built for the Ladies of the Royal household in the 19th century. The Amber Fort, the capital of the erstwhile State of Jaipur until 1728 is perched on a hill. It has halls of Public and Private audience, a Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors) various marble palaces which are marvelous examples of ancient Rajput architecture. The Temple of Amba (Mother Goddess), the patron deity of the Royal family is at the entrance to the palace. Ride an elephant to ascend the hill on which the Fort is situated.
Return to the town in the afternoon enroute visiting the City Palace - the former royal residence built in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal styles which houses a museum with a superb collection of Rajasthani costumes and armoury of the Mughals and Rajputs, including swords of different shapes and sizes with ornate handles. It has an art gallery with an excellent collection of miniature paintings, carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit. Also visit the Jantar Mantar - an astrological and astronomical observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh in the 18th century, which is remarkable for its accuracy even in the present times. Overnight in Jaipur
Day 5 : Jaipur-Agra
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) –235/5
Morning after breakfast drive to Agra 260/ 5hrs drive. Continue drive to Agra after visiting Fatehpur Sikri (49kms). On arrival, check in to the hotel.
Agra is famous as the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendour of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces in Agra is a vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal Empire. Agra was their capital for nearly a hundred years from 1564. A pleasant town, with a comparatively easy pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone by artisans who are hereditary crafts persons. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes. Overnight in Agra.
Day 6 : Agra – Katni
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) –Overnight train
Morning sight seeing of Agra including famous Taj Mahal and Morning : Proceed on a city tour of Agra. Visit the Agra Fort, built by three Mughal Emperors starting from Akbar the Great in 1565 AD, which is a masterpiece of design and construction. Within the fort are a number of exquisite buildings including the Moti Masjid, Jahangir’s Palace, Khas Mahal and the Sheesh Mahal, Diwane-i-Am, Diwane-i-Khas and Musamman Burj, where Emperor Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor, died a prisoner. Later visit the Taj Mahal - the inimitable poem in white marble. Built over a period of 22 years, by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1630, for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains, it is one of the seven modern wonders of the World. [ The Taj is closed on Friday.
Evening Take an 1st Class A/C Sleeper class overnight train to Katni ( Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve) at 1850 hrs .
We will oraganise your packed dinner for your overnight train journey. Reach railway station at 1810hrs. Our representative will be with you, when the train arrives at 1850hrs, he will assist you, take care of the porterage, and make you comfortable in the train. Overnight train, bedding is provided by the Indian Railways within the train.
Day 7 : Katni - Bandhavgarh
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) –95 /2
Arrive Katni at 0515 hrs. And drive to Bandhavgarh National Park 95 kms / 2 hours drive. Morning and afternoon game drive to the national park. Meals and overnight at Resort..
Day 8 : Bandhavgarh
Morning and afternoon game drives, meals and overnight Jungle Lodge
Bandhavgarh
The national park is mainly known for its tiger population. This is the place where famous White Tigers of Rewa were discovered. The other wild attractions in the park include Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild Boar, a Fox and a Jackal. There are at least 22 mammal species and about 250 bird species in the Park. The grasslands in the park consist of chinkara (Indian gazelle), nilgai (blue bull) and chausingha (four-horned antelope) and wild boar. The dense forests contain sambhar (Indian stag), the muntjac (barking deer) and the herds of chital (spotted deer).
The other animals found in Bandhavgarh are ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, the jungle cat, hyena and jackal, sloth bear, and the elusive Leopard. The reptile population in the park includes cobras, karaits, vipers, ratsnakes, pythons, lizards and turtles. The two primate species - the rhesus macaque and the Hanuman langur - inhabit the Bandhavgarh Park.
Day 9 : In Bandhavgarh
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at the Lodge. Morning & Evening Jeep drive in the park. Overnight In Bandhavgarh.
Bandhavgarh has been a center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and there are references to it in the ancient books, the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, stopped at Bandhavgarh on his way back to his homeland after defeating the demon King Ravana of Lanka. Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge between the isles of Lanka and the mainland, are said to have built Bandhavgarh's fort. Later Rama handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as Bandhavdhish "The Lord of the Fort". Lakshmana is the particular God of the fort and is regularly worshipped in a temple there. The oldest sign of habitation in the park are caves dug into the sandstone to the north of the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century B.C. Various dynasties have ruled the fort, for example, the Maghas from the 1st century A.D., the Vakatakas from the 3rd century A.D., From that time onwards Bandhavgarh was ruled by a succession of dynasties including the Chandela Kings of Bundelkhand who built the famous temples at Khajuraho. The Baghel Kings, the direct ancestors of the present Royal family of Rewa, established their dynasty at
Bandhavgarh in the 12th century. It remained their capital till 1617 when the center of court life moved to Rewa, 75 miles (120Kms) to the north. Without royal patronage Bandhavgarh became more and more deserted until forest overran the area band it became the royal hunting reserve. This helped to preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas made full use of their rights.
At independence Bandhavgarh remained the private property of the Maharaja until he gave it to the state for the formation of the National Park in 1968. After the park was created poaching was brought under control and the number of animals rose dramatically. Small dams and water holes were built to solve the problem of water shortage. Grazing by local cattle was stopped and the village within the park boundaries was relocated. The Tigers in particular prospered and the 1986 extension provided much needed forest to accommodate them.
Bandhavgarh is justifiably famous for its Tigers, but it has a wide range of other game. The undergrowth is not as dense as in some northern terai forests, but the best time to see the park inhabitants is still the summer months when water becomes more scarce and the undergrowth dies back.
There are two types of monkeys common in the park, the rhesus macaque and the black-faced langur. Drives can also reveal jungle cats, hyenas, porcupines, ratels, and a variety of other mammals. Bandhavgarh attracts many migratory birds in the winter months, including the birds of prey like the steppe eagle and a variety of wildfowl.
If the early morning Safari is a thriller then the late afternoon rendezvous to get another glimpse of the Tiger, and watch the shadows grow taller as dusk approaches and the cacophony of birds grows louder in the trees, is not to be missed experience.
Day 10 : Bandhavgarh - Kanha
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) – 250/6
Morning after breakfast depart for Kanha, 250kms, 6 hours drive, Lunch at Resort and afternoon game drive to The National Park
Kanha's sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendour which form the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The park is the only habitat of the rare hardground Barasingha (Cervus Duvaceli Branderi).
This is original Kipling country of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Book. The same abundance of wild life species exists today in Kanha National Park, as it must have when Kipling roamed these parts.
Day 11 : In Kanha
Breakfast and lunch at Chitvan Jungle Lodge. Morning and afternoon Jeep safari to the National park.
The Kanha National Park, stretching over 940 sq km, the vegetation, chiefly made of sal and bamboo forests, grasslands and streams, this park is the sole habitat of the rare hardground barasingha.
The forests of the Banjar valley and Halon valley, respectively forming Kanha's western and eastern halves, had even , at the turn of the century, been famous for their deer and tiger population. By a special statute in 1955, Kanha National Park came into being. Since then, a string of stringent conservation programmes have been launched, for the overall protection of the park's fauna and flora. It is one of the most well-maintained National Parks in Asia, and a major attraction for avid wildlife buffs all over the world.
Kanha boasts of about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world's cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Other frequent visitors include the Nilgai antelope, the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian wild dog, and an occasional panther. Some 200 species of birds inhabit the park, that include the cattle egret, black ibis, hawk eagle, and the red-wattled lapwing. Shravantal is an old, earthenbound tank in the central Kanha meadows, which happens to be an important watering hole, for a large number of water fowl in winter. Bamni Dadar, known as Sunset Point, is the most beautiful section of the park, and the view of the sunset from this spot is absolutely mesmerizing. Quite a few animals can be sighted around this area which include the sambar, gaur, the four-horned antelope and the barking deer.
Day 12 : Kanha- Pench
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) – 210/5
Morning game drive to the National Park and later drive to Pench National Park 210/5 hrs. Lunch at Resort and evening game drive to the park.
Dinner and overnight at Pench Jungle Camp
Breakfast and lunch at Pench Jungle Camp. Morning and afternoon Jeep safari to the National park
Pench National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills is named after Pench River which flows from north to south through the Pench National Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh.
Recently in 1992, Pench has been included under the umbrella of "Project Tiger" as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve.
A total of 758 Sq. kms of this Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest has its extent mingling with the tropical dry deciduous teak. The area is crisscrossed by a number of streams and 'nallahs' most of which are seasonal. Though the Pench River dries up in April end, a number of water pools locally known as 'dohs' are found which serve as water holes for the wild animals. The Pench Reservoir at the center of the park is the only major water source during the pinch period.
As a prey concentration is high along the Pench River, tiger usually inhabits frequents this belt. Leopard though generally operates in the peripheral areas but are occasionally seen in the deep forest also. Jungle cats are commonly seen. Leopard cats, small Indian civets and palm civets are common but seen rarely.
In Pench, Cheetal, Sambar, nilgai are commonly seen grazing on the open sites on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in search of food anywhere in the Park. Packs up to 15 of wild dog can be seen near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Herds of gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo patches commonly in summer months. Sloth beer occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chnkara is present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.
Langoors are very common in Pench, whereas the Rhesus monkeys may be seen occasionally on the fringes. Pench boasts of, more than 210 species of birds that include several migratory ones also. Commonly seen are Peafowl, Red jungle fowl, Crow pheasant, Crimson breasted barbet, Redvented bulbul, Racket tailed drongo, Magpie robin and lesser whistling teal.
Dinner and overnight at Pench Jungle Camp
Day 14 : Pench – Nagpur – New Delhi
Kms/Hrs(Aprox.) –90 / 2
Morning game drive to the national Park. Lunch at Resort and later transfer to Nagpur 90 kms /2 hrs drive to board a flight to New Delhi at 1955 hrs. Arrive New Delhi 2120 hrs and transfer to Hotel. Overnight at New Delh
Day 15 : New Delhi Fly Back
Morning free for leisure activity and later transfer to international airport to board a flight back home
Note: The driving hours given above from one city to another are based on the normal conditions of the roads. Any break for Food / Tea / Toilets / Sightseeing on the way will take extra time than the above given hours.
